The story: Alumaram villagers in India love Chenda’s kettledrum music, but they won’t invite him to their house. Why?
Because he is dark. Black. Hence, he must be a low-caste parayan. An untouchable. But that doesn’t discourage Chenda from dreaming of playing music at Carnegie Hall. He urges a herbal medical store manager to run for office so that, once the manager wins the election, he could help Chenda obtain an Indian passport and a U.S. visa. But the manager has other plans.

“In his novel Tears in God’s Own Country, Cliff Anthony vividly paints the social and political milieu of a village in India, whose themes and focus represent a universal concern. Driven by powerful cultural images, including colorism, this book sails gracefully down the page.” — Bruce Weigl, 2013 Pulitzer finalist for poetry and the author of twenty-five books.

“With humor and pathos, Cliff Anthony delivers an important time in India’s history through the story of a man called Chenda, as we learn about who he is and the strange and sometimes disturbing characters and events that frame his life.” — Sarah Willis, the author of Some Things That Stay and other novels.